


East and West

by LobsterGal



Category: North and South
Genre: F/M, north and south - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 18:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7373530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LobsterGal/pseuds/LobsterGal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern depiction of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Based in New York for Milton and California for Helstone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	East and West

Rain dribbled down the car window, I sighed. We had been driving for days and it had been beautiful the whole way. Only when we had arrived in New York City did the weather change for the worst. How cliché.  
“Margaret can you please turn down your music?” “Now!” my father commanded as if Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata wasn’t appropriate for this car ride in particular.  
I begrudgingly turned it down one notch but after a glare from my mother who had been car sick for the majority of this trip I obliged and turned it down more.  
I don’t remember much of the car ride after that, classical music has a habit of lulling me off to sleep.  
“We’re here!” Dad announced.  
And we were here to a mundane looking apartment building. I sighed retrieved a few of my bags. From the back and wandered in.  
…  
Dad was the reason why we had to move. He was originally a priest at a small church. We lived in the parish house. Unfortunately for us there had been a great shift in the material. My father being the godly man he is couldn’t agree with these new changes. But since our home was attached to his church we were forced to leave. And not just the parish the beautiful state of California and more to New York. Some days I felt like my father was playing darts when he decided the location of our new home. Alas he seemed to have a friend there. Mr. Bell or something like that.  
He was going to start a tutoring business my father claimed. I was skeptical of this idea but he seemed certain after all his major had been classical literature before going to seminary in college. He already had his first client, through Mr. Bell of course. John Thornton. It sounds so dated naming one of John. We live in the 21st century guys get with the program. Of course I have no room to talk. But I was always a hypocrite.  
What I knew of Thornton based on Facebook stalking him what that he was tall dark and he didn’t seem all that interested in everyone else online. My father told me that he was an engineering major at NYU the same I was attending in the fall. I was a freshman English major and he was a junior. It was weird that an engineering major would take a class on the classics but who knows curriculum reasoning.  
My father met with Thornton shortly after arriving in New York. And from first meeting my father seemed to adore him. It was though Thornton was the son that he had never had. They were going to start meeting at our apartment from now on which I didn’t really understand.  
…  
The next day was the first day of classes. Throughout that day I heard more whispers about Thornton that actual useful information. His mother owned a huge tech company. He is going into the engineering side to help create the next big thing. And according to my classmates he was not only born to privilege but was a regular old Einstein.  
“I heard that he has never gotten under 98%, ever.”  
“I heard that he has been a Mensa scholar since he was five.”  
These whispers perpetuated the whole school. They seemed so infatuated with one individual for such a large school. One comment did catch my attention though.  
“He’s so serious and doesn’t talk to anyone,” the girl who sat next to me said.  
“I’m Bessie by the way,” she said extending her hand to me.  
“I’m in your English 209 class.” to clarify.  
“Margaret,” was all I replied.  
Insert awkward silence that makes everyone uncomfortable.  
“My dad tutors Thornton,” I said, unsure on how else to fill the silence.  
“I am not surprised,” she replied. “It seems everyone is connected to him in some way or another.”  
“Really, how so?” I asked intrigued.  
“Well my dad works for Milton Inc. and I interned there during my free time.  
“Really?!?”  
“Yeah the hours can suck and the pay isn’t great but on the bright side I’ve heard its better than other tech giants.  
I thought about this for the rest of the day, I hadn’t realized how far Milton Incorporated’s branches stretched. Little did I know that my world could only get smaller.  
…  
That afternoon my Chem.130 professor asked me to grab so more base solution from another lab. Because destiny is a very cruel mistress. That just happened to be the class room that Thornton was working in. For a guy I had never met before I did not look forward to our first interaction.  
He and his partner seemed to be working on some reaction using a Bunsen burner. And then out of nowhere Thornton started screaming at the other young man. That was my cue to step in.  
“How dare you yell at him!”  
It was like poking a tiger. Thornton rose to his full height, well over six feet. I could fill the anger pouring off of him in waves,  
“Thomas almost stuck his hand in the Bunsen burner because he wasn’t paying attention,” He raged at me.  
“You don’t have to scream at him, he’s a person!” I yelled right back.  
“Who even are you?!?” he retorted.  
“It doesn’t matter,” was the only response I could think of.  
And with that I turned on my heel and left, everyone in the room watched me bewildered at what had just happened. And that was the first impression I made at NYU. I admit it could have gone better but for some reason this individual made me so mad.  
That night as fate would have it was the first night of my father tutoring Thornton and as luck would have it he was not only studying in our house but eating dinner with us.  
“Margaret! Dinner!” my mother called giving me no warning about the room that I was about to enter.  
And there he was sitting at our dining room table in our house. That interloper!  
“John, Margaret.”  
“Margaret, John,” my father rumbled.  
“I believe your daughter and I have already met.” Thornton spoke.  
My father didn’t miss a beat and went right back into the conversation that they had been having. But Thornton didn’t seem to want to end at that.  
“We didn’t meet under the best circumstance.”  
“You were screaming at your lab partner!”  
“He almost started a fire!”  
“But he is a person not an animal you can yell at!”  
“I admit that I have a bit of a temper but for a good reason, my lab partner last year burned down two classrooms while not paying attention!”  
The room became silent after that.  
“I have to get going,” Thornton said as he pushed back his chair.  
My father reluctantly let him leave.  
“Don’t forget we are studying Plato next Tuesday,” he called in Thornton’s wake.  
Imagine our surprise when his mother arrived the very next day. She was a very intense woman on first impression. She had some of the best posture that I had ever seen. When she spoke everyone seemed to come to attention and she had a slight Irish accent. I from the get go I both admired her and feared her. In her wake was a teenage girl texting away on her iPhone. They made quite an odd pair.  
“Hello, I’m Hannah Thornton and this is my daughter Fanny. You’ve been tutoring my son?”  
“Oh yes!” my father exclaimed.  
“He is a lovely bright young man.”  
The elder Thornton seemed to be scouring the room looking for all the imperfections. Fanny didn’t talk much for that visit she seemed lost in a world of social media. Ms. Thornton did most of the talking. After a while she looked at her phone.  
“I’m sorry I must be going I have a meeting soon. Say by Fanny.”  
Her daughter did a lip wave at no point in time looking up from her phone.  
…  
I bumped into Bessie the next day at school.  
“Have you started on the Plath paper?” I asked  
“No do you want to work on it at my house” she asked.  
“Definitely.”  
And after that I had plans for the first time since moving to New York.  
The Higgins apartment was full of love. You could tell even in its cramped quarters they seemed happy. We were chatting when her father came in. Nicholas Higgins was a large man that seemed to consume an entire room.  
“How was the Union meeting Dad?” Bessie asked.  
“I am in charge of the union at Milton Inc.,” he explained.  
“We are working at it sweetie.” And that seemed his final word.  
Mary got a nosebleed later that night.  
“Don’t tell dad he worries,” she said through wadded up tissue.  
By the time I left it still hadn’t stopped but she said it was normal so I trusted her.  
…  
About a week later Thornton was over for studying and dinner. I must admit he did make my dad seem young again. They were chattering about Plato today. My mother had retired early do to a headache. She had been getting more of them lately. I unfortunately couldn’t find an excuse to leave. I started to doze off in my seat when Thornton said.  
“I think that we are boring Margaret.”  
That woke me up.  
“Of course not I am just tired, starting a new school and all.”  
“So how do you like New York?” he asked.  
“Well the people always seem to be running around, everyone is constantly busy,” was my reply.  
“Well I am sorry we can’t all be lounging around like beach bums in Cali,” he retorted.  
“That’s easy for you to say you’ve had everything handed to you.”  
“That’s not the case,” he said softly.  
“My father died when I was eight. My mother started Milton Inc. shortly after that and put everything she had into that company. We were living off of welfare until I was sixteen when the company finally took off.”  
“I am so sorry I had no idea.”  
“Things are not always as they seem Margaret. I am sorry it is getting late I must go.”  
And with that he curtly left our house.  
After he left my father chastised me.  
“Margaret don’t be so rude. New Yorkers are a bit different in the way they do things. John is a good boy so don’t harass him he’s been through enough.”  
…  
Later that night I decided to write a letter to my friend Edith from back home.  
Dear Edith,  
If anyone one would understand me, it would be her.  
…  
Every day I hear more of the Union protests. It’s all anyone can talk about. There is talk of a strike. Mom’s health hasn’t been good this week. I am worried about her. I go over to Milton Inc. because they are the only family I know.  
“Margaret? What a surprise.” Ms. Thornton steps out of her office.  
“What brings you here?”  
“I was wondering if you could recommend me a good family doctor. Mom hasn’t been feeling good and I don’t want dad to worry,” I said quietly not able to look her in the eye feeling if I did I might cry.  
“Of course,” she said.  
It was a quick interaction. I don’t think she was really thrilled to be talking to me and I her. And with that I was on my way.  
…  
As I was checking out I heard one of the secretaries talking of the strike.  
“Are you going to participate?” I asked  
“Margaret?”  
The one person I was hoping to miss today.  
Thornton.  
“Hey, I was just getting a doctor’s name from your mom.”  
“Are you sick?”  
“No but my mom hasn’t been doing well so it’s just a precaution,” I looked away his stare was making me uncomfortable.  
“You shouldn’t talk to people about the union strike,” Thornton said after a more than awkward pause.  
“Why not?”  
“We pay them as much as we can. If you notice my family even at the top of the company is not throwing away money. There just is not all that much money lying around we pay them what is fair and what we can.”  
“I guess that’s fair.”  
“But don’t they realize that?” I asked.  
“Well mom says that there are always people who start trouble,” he said sheepishly.  
Well I have to get back to the University I have class soon.”  
“Me too, I’ll give you a ride.”  
As we drove we saw picketers and my heart sank.  
…  
I told Bessie all about this weird interaction that night as we worked on our projects.  
“Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons” she said.  
“The Thorntons are just protecting each other just like my father did when he got me the job at Milton.”  
“I bet your mother would be protective if she had a son.”  
“She does.” I said quietly.  
“What you’ve never said anything about having a brother.”  
“That’s because we don’t talk about Fredrick.”  
“He got into trouble back home I don’t want to talk about it,” my words stinging sharply I’m sure.  
That was when she started coughing up blood. I started to scream and her father came running in.”  
“The cancer is back,” is all he said before shoeing me out.  
My thoughts were numb as I walked home. This was why Mr. Higgins was trying to get better wages. First my mother and now Bessie everyone was sick it was more than I could take.  
…  
I was walking home when I heard my name.  
“Margaret?”  
Thornton drove up in his SUV. I brushed tears from my eyes not wanting him to see.  
“Do you need a ride home?” he asked looking a bit concerned.  
I nodded and we drove home in silence until we passed Milton Inc. The protesting had gotten really bad.  
People started to recognize Thornton’s car and that’s when things got bad. They were banging on the window when I say one guy come forth with a hammer.  
“Thornton look out!” I shielded him as best I could and then everything went dark.  
…  
I woke up in a hospital bed Thornton leaning over me.  
“You are okay,” he said.  
“The doctor said you had a mild concussion but with rest you should be completely fine,” he said in seemingly one breath.  
“Okay…” was my response still groggy from the pain meds.  
This is where it got weird.  
“Margaret, I have feelings for you!”  
“Please stop!” was my response.  
“You want to date me because you think that it would be generous to date the tutor’s daughter, you want another object to add to your collection!” I stated.  
“I want to date you because I love you!” he spat on deaf ears.  
“Well I don’t like you. I never have.” I said quietly. As if I said it like that it would be true.  
“We always seem to argue,” he said softly.  
“I am sorry I must go,” and that was when I fled.   
…  
Months went by and Bessie slowly got worse. There was nothing I could do. Thornton wasn’t talking to me. The worst day was the last day I saw her.  
“Bessie I came to visit.”  
She is sitting in a hospital room. The chemo hasn’t worked and this is the third time the cancer has come back. I was sitting with her that day when her breathing began to slow and like that she was gone. I bumped into her father on the way out and we cried together. She was no longer in pain.  
After that I somehow got home I am unsure how.  
Mom hasn’t been doing well so Fredrick came to visit. I think that it did perk her up. Unfortunately, Fred is like the wind, he doesn’t stay places long and before we knew it he was gone again.  
…  
The weeks later the protests were at their worst. As was my mother she couldn’t breathe. I was glad Fred wasn’t here to see it. The doctors weren’t sure what it was but keep her comfortable. I was losing Mother and friend within weeks of each other life wasn’t fair.  
…  
The funeral was empty. If we had been home in Helstone it would be full but only a few people came. Thornton. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Bell. It was quite sad.  
…  
What surprised me next was Mr. Higgins. After the funeral he went up to Thornton.  
“I want to end this protest. It’s not worth it these people’s livelihoods. They need to support their families. I realize that now.” Mr. Higgins shuffled his feet not looking up.  
“I will call me my mother and we will get this settled.” Thornton said smiling.  
Had I ever seen him smile? I can’t recall feelings well up. I really can’t deal with this.  
…  
My father agreed that it would be best if I went for a short vacation after that. I was winter vacation for school. I saw all my friends but Helstone only reminded me of Mom. Thornton’s company wasn’t doing well even after the strikes were over. They were going under. I was glad I wasn’t home.  
I went to visit my father’s friend Mr. Bell who was back in California living out his retirement. He surprised me more than anyone ever has.  
“Margaret I am an old man. I have no more friends and no family. I want to leave you my fortune. You are as close to a daughter as I have ever had. But I don’t want to make you wait till I die. I am keeping just enough to live comfortably for the rest of my days but I am leaving you the rest a total of 4 billion dollars.”  
I was in shock and as much as I protest he insisted. I thought of all the ways I could spend the money in California but none were appealing.  
I was sitting with Edith one day and she said something strange.  
“Helstone isn’t home to you anymore, you aren’t happy here.”  
“What?...” I stuttered.  
“Whatever happened to that Thornton guy.” She asked quizzically.  
My response was to blush.  
“Go home Margaret. I will miss you but you belong there now.”  
I flew straight home but I heard when I got there Thornton was gone to California for business. I must have gone crazy so I got back on another and flew back to California. We had to refuel in Chicago and then the plane had a problem so we were delayed. I got off the plane and was wandering around when I heard my name.  
“Margaret?”  
It was Thornton. He smiled at me and my heart melted.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked.  
“I could ask you the same question I came looking for you.” I said his gaze making me nervous.  
“I came here to California looking for you but you had already gone.” He said, his smile not fading one bit.  
“I have a business proposition for you.” trying to be serious but damn those stupid blue eyes.  
“I have recently inherited 4 billion dollars and the bank I am using isn’t going to give me any interest so I have discussed it with my father and have decided to invest in Milton Inc. That way your company doesn’t go bankrupt and I have a strong investment.  
“Margaret, stop talking please.”  
And that is when he kissed me.  
…  
Several months later  
Thornton and I have been dating for several months now. (He thinks it’s cute that I call him Thornton) Dad is doing better. He and Mr. Higgins actually started volunteering at the local hospital. I have been making new friends and forcing Thornton to socialize as well. Milton Inc. is doing better than ever. I’m happy and that’s all I want right now.  
…


End file.
